Mayfield confident he can thrive in NYC: 'I live for a big moment'

The Heisman Trophy winner interviewed with Jets at Senior Bowl

The 2017 Heisman Trophy Award winner sat down with The Post's Steve Serby to talk about the prospect of playing in the Big Apple, and if he has what it takes to succeed in a market that isn't friendly to anyone.

Simply put: Mayfield loves the spotlight.

"I think I thrive under the spotlight, I live for a big moment," Mayfield said. "Honestly, it doesn't get much bigger than being in New York. It's a big stage, it's a lot of criticism and a lot of expectations, but I love having high expectations. I'm the type of guy. I rise to the occasion, so setting the bar high for me has always been the fundamental thing, setting my expectations at the highest point and so I think it goes hand-in-hand with being in New York."

Mayfield's draft stock has rose significantly since the beginning of his best collegiate season in 2017. The numbers speak for themselves: 4,627 passing yards, 70.5 completion percentage, and an insane 43/6 touchdown-interception ratio. He led his Oklahoma squad to the College Football Playoff, but unfortunately lost to Georgia in overtime.

But his college days are officially over, and now his next priority is impressive teams like the Giants and Jets, who he has been linked to through mock drafts. So, he must face the obvious question by those teams and many others at the NFL Combine in just a couple weeks: Why draft Baker Mayfield?

"You should draft me because I'm a winner," he said. "I make my teammates play harder. I set the bar high, and I'll do anything, whatever it takes to win. I care more about this game than most people ever will. When you mix a lot of those things with a winning mentality, it's a good thing to have as a franchise quarterback."

With that mentality, Mayfield is confident he is the best quarterback in a class that features other Top-10 hopefuls in USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, and Wyoming's Josh Allen.

"I am. I believe I am," Mayfield said. "That's not any disrespect to the other guys. I've always had confidence, and I think I'm more than capable of doing everything and more."

Mayfield has already spoken with the Jets at the Senior Bowl, and he thinks the first meeting was a success.

"I think it went well," he said. "I'm just gonna be myself. What you see is what you get out of me, and I've always prided myself on that. I'm not gonna act one way and then you're gonna hear something else about me. You're gonna know exactly to expect at all times, so think it went well with the Jets."

But many are down on the 22-year-old for his physical stature despite the numbers. At a notch under 6-foot-1, Mayfield doesn't have the prototypical height of a quarterback one would take early in the first round, and despite Russell Wilson and Drew Brees succeeding with that height in the NFL, scouts can't see Mayfield living up to their potential.

It is that assumption, though, that ticks him off the most.

"It angers me when people say that height actually matters because there's guys in the NFL that prove it day in and day out that it doesn't," he said. "If you can pick up and throw a ball, you can. And if you can win games, you can. So a lot of that stuff that people used to think mattered a lot, those measurable don't exactly anymore. It's about winning games and getting your teammates to play hard.

Mayfield also isn't fond on people assuming he is cocky because he has had an easy walk through his early career. It is the exact opposite.

"People want to put an image on me that they obviously don't know me. If you never sat down to have a conversation with me, then you probably don't understand why I'm so competitive, why I do the things I do. I always had a chip on my shoulder because I've had to earn everything. If you think me being cocky is because I've been handed things that I've been spoon fed, you're absolutely wrong. I've had to earn it."

Another inevitable question he will face leading up to the Draft will be his off-the-field issues, that includes a February arrest in Arkansas for public intoxication, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and fleeing. Mayfield has already addressed this at the Senior Bowl when teams conducted early interviews before the Combine. It is something that he knows he must be honest about, and he admits he has learned from the mistake.

"I did a lot of it at the Senior Bowl, and I've been just honest," he said about talking about the arrest. "I talked about my arrest, and people want to put the "party boy" mentality on me, but that's not true at all. I was in a bad situation and I shouldn't have run from the cops. I got scared. I never had a run-in with the law before or after that. I can handle having a lot of responsibility. I had a slipup. It's not a character flaw though."

Instead, Mayfield characterizes himself as someone who is caring on and off the field, and someone who puts in the effort necessary to make his game on the field perfect.

"Fun outgoing. Somebody that is a caring person, always passionate," he said. "I'm not gonna do anything to waste my time. If I'm gonna take my time to do something, it's because I want to give it 110 percent effort. I'd do anything for my friends, I'm very loyal. I love making people happy."

Mayfield was asked which athletes he has admired sports other than football, and a New York favorite in former Yankees captain Derek Jeter came to mind.

"The Captain. Just the level of respect in all sports have for him, it's for a certain reason," Mayfield said. "Never heard a bad thing about him. People being around him, it makes them want to be better just being around his presence because he's a living legend."

Mayfield is trying to build his own legend, and as he looks ahead to his future, he hopes to emulate some of the greats that already made their mark on the game.

"I think a mix of things where people talk about Tom Brady, his work ethic and his winning...Brett Favre, his passion for the game, how much fun he had. I want to be able to have a story that I've had success but I've inspired a lot of people along the way and has been a good role model for kids growing up and something to look up to," Mayfield said.

So, if Mayfield hears his name called by either of New York's teams, his brimming confidence is ready for the big stage. The chip he has on his shoulder is more of "a boulder" in his eyes. And if you think pressure will get to him, think again.

"You can't make diamonds without pressure," he said.

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What's next for the Jets this offseason?

Aug 12, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan reacts on the field before a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Armed with $90 million-plus in salary cap space and extra draft picks, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan has been a busy man the last few days. He's reshaped his roster, reset the quarterback position, and possibly put his franchise in contention for the next few years.

Mike Maccagnan makes legacy-defining trade: He better be right

Ernie Accorsi knew back in 2004 that he would always be remembered as the GM that brought Eli Manning to the Giants. Whether it worked out or not, that would be his legacy, regardless of everything else he accomplished in his career.

That's the way it now is for Mike Maccagnan. He began to define his legacy as the Jets GM with the bold trade he made on Saturday to ship three second-round picks to Indianapolis to move up from 6 to 3 in the NFL draft. And in less than six weeks, on April 26, he will further define it when he picks the player he expects will be the Jets' long-awaited franchise quarterback.

Now he just better be right...

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Maccagnan's bold trade aims to solve Jets QB quandary

Jets acquire no. 3 pick in draft from Colts

Nov 2, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan on the sidelines before a game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

The Jets have spent years, even decades stuck in Quarterback Hell, in a never-ending search for an elusive franchise quarterback.

And Mike Maccagnan is serious about ending that run.

The Jets GM made the boldest move of his tenure on Saturday morning, making a stunning trade to move up even closer to the top of the 2018 NFL draft. He acquired the No. 3 overall pick from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 6 overall pick, the Jets' two second-rounders (37th and 49th) and a second-rounder in 2019...

Here is the most up-to-date information on whom the Jets have added and lost during free agency, including contract details and salary cap information. The official signing period begins Wednesday at 4 p.m., so be sure to bookmark this page and check back for frequent updates.

Tyrann Mathieu, a player on the Jets' radar, has agreed to a deal with the Texans, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter is reporting the deal is worth one-year, $7 million for the Honey Badger.

The Jets were looking for some more help in their secondary, and even S Jamal Adams tried to recruit his LSU friend to New York.

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Daily News Live: Bowles, Maccagnan scour draft options at QB

Mar 16 | 6:51PM

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Jets aiming to draft a QB00:03:54

The Daily News Live panel discuss the Jets' quarterback options in this year's NFL Draft.

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Demario Davis surprised Jets 'didn't make me an offer'

Mar 16 | 10:30AM

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New York Jets inside linebacker Demario Davis against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. (Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports)

Former Jets linebacker Demario Davis said he felt surprised New York never made him an offer in free agency before he signed with the New Orleans Saints.

"The shocking thing was the Jets didn't make me an offer, so that made my decision easy because all I had to do was look at the contenders," Davis said, according to the New Orleans Advocare's Rod Walker. "It would have been something to weigh."

Jets re-sign CB Morris Claiborne to one-year deal

Mar 15 | 9:10PM

New York Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne breaks up a touchdown attempt to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry in the second half at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports)

The Jets have re-signed CB Morris Claiborne to a one-year, $7 million deal, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirms. The news was first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Last season, Claiborne started and played in all but one of the Jets' games. The 28-year-old had one interception and eight passes defended, as well as 46 tackles. He was drafted 6th overall by the Cowboys in the 2012.

Claiborne returns to an improved secondary after the Jets signed CB Trumaine Johnson to a five-year, $72.5 million deal. Johnson is expected to be the team's no. 1 corner.

The Jets have signed K Cairo Santos, the team announced. The deal is one-year, according to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

Santos, 26, endured an injury-riddled 2017. He injured his groin in preseason, kicked the first three games for the Chiefs before being placed on IR and released in September. He signed with the Bears in November, kicked in two games then was placed on IR again after re-injuring his groin. Between the two teams, he made four of his five field goal attempts.

For the first three years of Santos' career, he converted 84.3 percent of his field goal attempts overall and was 7 for 12 from 50 yards or more. Santos replaces the outgoing Chandler Catanzaro, who signed with the Buccanneers.

Santos was born in Brazil and first learned of American football when he came to St. Augustine, Florida as an exchange student before playing college football at Tulane. He's the first Brazilian to play in the NFL.

Analyzing the Jets' free-agent additions so far

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater drops back to pass during the first half an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer) (Mike Roemer/AP)

The top priority for the Jets was absolutely clear: Find a franchise quarterback. End the decades-long search. That's why they went so hard after free agent Kirk Cousins.

But they couldn't sign him. And so their never-ending question at quarterback remains.

Though it's hardly their fault that Cousins chose a better situation in Minnesota over the future potential of the Jets, the quarterback situation still looms big over what has otherwise been an incredibly successful start to free agency for GM Mike Maccagnan and the Jets...

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Seferian-Jenkins signs two-year deal with Jaguars

The Jets had recently upped their offer to Seferian-Jenkins

Mar 15 | 4:35PM

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New York Jets tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins catches a touchdown pass during the second half of their game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. The play was overturned on review for failure to maintain possession of the ball. (Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports)

TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins is leaving the Jets for the Jaguars, Seferian-Jenkins posted on Thursday while giving gratitude to the Jets. Seferian-Jenkins also visited with the Seahawks.

The deal is for two years and $10 million, and can be worth as much as $11 million, a source confirmed to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.

The Jets increased their offer to Seferian-Jenkins Tuesday night, according to Vacchiano. The original offer was $8 million for two years, with not much guaranteed.

Which players could Jets target to fill remaining holes?

By Bent | Mar 15 | 3:30PM

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Nov 2, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan on the sidelines before a game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

Bent, theJetsBlog.comFollow on Twitter: Now that the first wave of free agency is over, we can start to take stock of the outstanding needs for the Jets and potential ways to address these in free agency.

Defensive End

Mike Maccagnan downplayed the need for defensive line help following the departure of Muhammad Wilkerson, but the team probably still needs to add a starting-level player to replace him...

It became official on Tuesday afternoon when McCown re-signed with the Jets, according to his agent, Mike McCartney. The 38-year-old McCown returns on a one-year deal, according to an NFL source, that could pay him as much as $10 million.

The Jets officially announced the deal on Wednesday night.

And that is Part 2 of what SNY has reported is the Jets' Plan B at quarterback. Part 1 is signing 25-year-old Teddy Bridgewater -- and as SNY reported earlier on Tuesday, the Jets are currently engaged in contract talks with the soon-to-be-former Viking.

How does Avery Williamson fit in Jets' defensive system?

By Bent | Mar 14 | 12:00PM

Much of the attention surrounding the Jets' offseason moves so far has been centered around the quarterback position with the addition of Trumaine Johnson stealing most of the non-quarterback headlines. However, the Jets filled an important spot with the signing of former Titans linebacker Avery Williamson last night. Let's consider how well he fits into what the Jets typically like to do on defense.

On the face of it, this seems pretty straightforward; Williamson replaces Demario Davis as the team's Mike linebacker, and slides into his role. However, it might not be as simple as that.

Jets to sign Teddy Bridgewater on Wednesday

After the Jets missed out on quarterback Kirk Cousins, the team is set to sign Teddy Bridgewater and bring back Josh McCown.

The Jets' Plan B at quarterback now officially stands for (Teddy) Bridgewater.

With the quarterback that the Jets desired (Kirk Cousins) heading to Minnesota, the Jets quickly turned their attention to Bridgewater on Tuesday and they are now expecting to sign him when the free-agent signing period opens on Wednesday, according to an NFL source.

The Jet Stream: Reaction to Cousins signing with Vikings

Mar 13 | 3:00PM

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Jonas Schwartz and Willie Colon are back for another edition of The Jet Stream podcast, where they discuss missing out on Kirk Cousins and the possibility of signing Teddy Bridgewater. Later, the guys talk about where GM Mike Maccagnan should focus his attention as the free agency period starts.

Could RB Dion Lewis fit in Jets backfield?

Jets among teams showing interest in the Patriot

Mar 13 | 2:40PM

The Jets are looking to add some running back help. And if they can take a key player away from the New England Patriots, even better.

They'd accomplish both if they're able to sign free agent Dion Lewis, whom they are interested in according to an NFL source. The 27-year-old Lewis is one of the top backs on the market, and the Patriots are trying to lure him back too.

Report: Kirk Cousins plans to sign three-year deal with Vikings

What do the Jets do now at QB?

Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) rushes for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) (Mark Lennihan/AP)

Kirk Cousins, the franchise quarterback the Jets coveted, will be signing with the Minnesota Vikings, according to multiple reports. A team source confirmed that the Jets are expecting that to happen as soon as the signing period opens on Wednesday, and they are moving on with their Plan B.

Does Keenum-to-Broncos make Vikings favorite to land Cousins?

The first domino in the NFL's free-agent quarterback frenzy reportedly fell overnight, with veteran Case Keenum agreeing to sign with the Denver Broncos. He wasn't the biggest domino, of course. That's still Kirk Cousins, and he's still available.

But the Keenum-to-Denver news still could have a big impact on the offseason landscape. Here's a look at how it affects the Jets...

Cousins highlights quarterback frenzy in free agency

Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) (Bill Kostroun/AP)

The Kirk Cousins sweepstakes officially opened at noon on Monday, and the Jets made it clear they are going to be in it. They are willing to pay a very high price to land their much-needed franchise quarterback.

Which lower-level free agents should Mike Maccagnan pursue?

By Bent | Mar 12 | 8:25PM

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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Jaron Brown goes up for the ball over Dallas Cowboys cornerback Anthony Brown but is unable to make a catch during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. (Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)

With free agency about to kick off and the "legal tampering" period well underway, speculation is rife as to which players the Jets will pursue. With their league-leading war chest of cap space, the Jets are going to be extremely active this offseason and should also look to make a series of lower-profile moves to bolster their depth.

Ideally, Mike Maccagnan would prefer to build a team through the draft, to spend time developing his own players, and then paying them before they hit the open market. Spending big in free agency isn't usually the most efficient way to rebuild a program.

But the reality is the Jets have more than $90 million of space under the $177.2 million salary cap, and Maccagnan plans to spend a lot of it...

Former Cowboys DE Benson Mayowa visits Jets Monday

Mar 12 | 9:43AM

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As the Jets gear up for free agency, they invited former Cowboys DE Benson Mayowa to East Rutherford on Monday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Mayowa began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Seahawks in 2013, where he played in just two games. However, his sophomore season saw him play in all 16 games with the Raiders. He collected 13 tackles and a sack that season.

For the past two seasons, though, Mayowa has been with Dallas working in their prolific pass-rushing corps. In 2016, he amassed 25 tackles, six sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four run stuffs.

Baker Mayfield on meeting with Jets: 'It went smooth'

Mar 10 | 11:00AM

Baker Mayfield opened up about his meeting with the Jets at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine and said he was pleased with how it went.

Mayfield is a top prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft after finishing his 2017-18 season with 4,627 passing yards, 43 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He led the Sooners to the Rose Bowl, where he completed 23 of 35 passes for 287 yards while throwing two touchdowns and one interception in a 54-48 loss to Georgia...